For me, early summer heralds the start of the outdoor eating season: long and lazy lunches in the sun, picnics in the park, sand and surf at the beach. For that, you need food that’s easily transportable and that can be eaten with one hand. This is my take on the traditional Spanish tortilla, making use of the sun-ripened Mediterranean vegetables that are so good at this time of year. It is also a very good way of using up leftovers. The potatoes keep it fairly solid, making it easy to cut into chunks, and I find making it the day before yields the tastiest results.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 medium sized potatoes, pre-cooked
- 3 red peppers, quartered and roasted
- 1 large onion, quartered and roasted
- 6 eggs
- 50g crumbled goat’s cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
- Slice all of the vegetables into 1-2cm pieces.
- Warm a good glug of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, ideally with a heatproof handle that you can put in the oven (a 26cm, old-fashioned paella pan is perfect for the job).
- Add the vegetables, stir and warm through.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs together and season well with salt and pepper.
- Make sure the vegetables are evenly distributed, then pour over the eggs.
- Sprinkle over the goat’s cheese and cook over a low heat until the eggs start to set at the edges (about 5 minutes).
- Transfer to a heated grill and cook until the eggs are set all the way through (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from the grill and leave to cool before cutting into wedges.
- Eat straight from a napkin—a smear of aioli on top is optional (but very, very good).
In Season
What to watch out for this month at the market: sweet bell peppers, aubergines and courgettes.
Tara Stevens is a food writer and cook who splits her time between Barcelona and her little cooking school in the Fez Medina. Passionate about Spanish and Moroccan cuisine, she takes traditional recipes and gives them a modern makeover using local and seasonal ingredients.
Follow Tara on Instagram @courtyardkitchenfez and Twitter @taralstevens.